Refrigerator-car.



PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

E. POSSON.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.13.1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

/6 WITNESSES:

BY M M WM momvzxf PATENTED JULY 7, 1908.

E. POSSON.

REFRIGERATOR GAR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO.13,1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEKI' No. 892,447. PATENTED JULY 7, 1908. E. POSSON.

REFRIGERATOR CAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC 13 1907 s SHEETSSHEET 3.

INVENTOR.

WITNESSES ///WV'M 62% 7%. M

A TTORNEYJ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' EDWARD POSSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' REFRIGERATOR-CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1908.

Application filed December 13, 1907. Serial No. 406,297.

' car with ice chambers in the on s thereof formed by movable bulkheads which can be displaced when desired so as to make the entire length of the car available for carrying ,spaces are left on either side of the car in freight. I

Referring to the drawingsFigure 1 is a longitudinal section of a freight car embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross section looking toward the end of the car from the inside thereof; and Fig, 3 is a sectional plan view.

The floor 15, the end sill 16, the end wall 17 and the roof 18 are similar to the corresponding parts in cars Well-known in the art and are here mentioned merely in order that the relation of the parts essential to my invention may be clearly illustrated.

The fioor'15 ends at a little distance from the end wall 17, the edge bein' bounded by the Z-bar 19. The sheet meta lining 20 has one edge secured under said Z-bar and extends thence across the bottom of the ice chamber and up a certain distance on the end wall 17. The end and side walls have a sheet metal lining 20". On the lining 20 at the bottom of the chamber there are placed frames or grids 21 formed of spaced members having portions cut away on their under edges, as indicated by the reference numeral 22, so as to permit water to flow freely in any direction across the bottom linin 20. Drain outlets 20 are provided in the floor so as to permit the disc the melting ice. entire bottom of the ice chamber, but narrow which are placed-the tracks'23 formed of sheet metal.

The movable bulkhead is formed of vertical channel beams 24 each" filled with a Wooden beam 25. These wooden beams are thicker than the flanges of the channels and s aced horizontal boards or slats 26 are naile to the projecting wooden members. The spaces between the vertical frame members 2425 are filled with inclined vanes 30 of a design well-known in the art, which are intended to deflect the air downwardly as it arge of the Water formed by The grids 21 do not fill the of the car. Extending across the bottom of the bulkhead is an angle iron 27 attached to the vertical frame members 24-25 and adapted to have one flange rest-0n the Z-bar '19. Above this angle iron 27 is a long door 28 hinged horizontally on its upper edge at 29 and having hooks 30 which overlap the,

angle iron 27. ,When desired to obtain access to the lower part of the ice chamber from I the interior of the car this door can be raised for the purpose.

. Opposite the slats 26 there is a metal openi work ming 31, which is adapted to retain the ice in the ice chamber. At the lower corners of the bulkhead there are rollers 32 ada ted to roll on the tracks 23. On each side 0 the ice chamber at the top there is a rack 33. A shaft 34 extends across the top of the bulkhead having journal bearings 1n the tops of the posts 2425. On each end of this shaft there is a small gear wheel 35 adapted to engage the rack 33. An angle iron 36 extending across the top of the car forms an abutment adapted to hold the bulkhead at its top. The said bulkhead has a cross beam 37 1 enters the ice chamber from the central part On the shaft 34 there is fixed a collar 38 hav ingholes in which a Wrench or crowbar may be lfnserted for the purpose of rotating said sha t.

Across the inner face of the bulkhead hearits bottom is an angle iron 4O which formsa ledge to support the grids or frames, 42. These are hinged to the end wall of the car, the angle iron 41 being adapted to sup-' The slats of each gr d" date the spacers 43 and 44. A slide 48 with an appropriate guide is provided, as shown lIhFIgS 1 and 2. This slide is adapted to .be raised lnto the space 49 when the grid '42 is folded back and then it will drop over one ofthe spacers 44 and hold the grid in lace. Clips 50 extend a short distance-from t e in:

nor face of the end wall of the car and have holes in their ends adapted to register with The said against the end wall of the car, pins can be pushed through the registering holes so as to assist in holding the bulkhead in .place. Such pins can readily be inserted by raising the door 28. Across the top of the ice chamber extend braces 52 permanently ivoted at 53 to the end wall of the car and engaging the top of the bulkhead by means of removable ins 54. When it is desired to move the bul ead back against the end wall of the car, the pins 54' may be withdrawn and the braces 52 be dropped so as to hang against the end wall of the car. Lugs 55 are provided on the end wall which will register with the pin sockets on the bulkhead and by means of these registering members the same ins 54 may be em loyed to lock the bulkiiead close against t e end wall 17.

Removablecovers 56 areprovided in the car roof immediately above the ice chambers,

through which ice may be introduced and which may be opened when desired for ventilating purposes. The ice in the ice chamber is represented by the reference numeral 57.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus is arranged so as to carry ice in the ice chamher, but when this is not desired and it is wished to utilize the space of the ice chamber for carrying ordinary freight, then the grids 42 may be folded back against the end wall 17 and retained in this position by means of the slides 48, the braces 52 may be detached,

by withdrawing the pins 54 and then said br ces may be swung down against the end wal of the car. "By rotating the shaft 34, the whole bulkhead will be carried back against the end wall of the car. There is a space left above the cross slats 26 through which an operator can reach to removethe pins 54 and in order to apply a wrench to the collar 38. When the bulkhead has been traversed back against the end wall of the car it may be locked in this position by means of the pins 54 engaging the clips 55 and by means of other pins which may be passed through the holes 51 and the corresponding holes in the clips 50. The reverse operation of opening out the bulkhead from the end,

wall .is sufficiently obvious fromthe foregoing. i

, It will be observed that I have provided a refrigerator car in which the ice s ace may be readily utilized for carrying freig t when it is not desired to use it for ice. The change may be made easily and quickly and the mechanism by which it is efiected is of a simple character that is not likely to get out of order.

I claim: I

1. A refrigerator car having a movable partition across the end thereof whereby the space at the end of the carmay be separated ofias an ice chamber or may be connected to the central part of the car.

for shifting the A-refrigerator car having a transverse shifting the partition to or from a wall of the car.

4. A refrigerator ear having a movable partition adapted in one position to separate 03 a portion of the interior of the car to serve as an ice chamber, and in another position to go close against the boundary wall of the 'car so, as to permit the whole interior of the car to be utilized as one continuous space.

5. A refrigerator car having a movable transverse artition, rollers thereon, suitable tracks for the rollers extending at right angles to the end wall of the car, and means partition to or from the end wall of the car.

6. A refrigerator car having a movable transverse partition, a horizontal rotatable shaft j ournaled in the upper edge of said partition, gear pinions on said shaft, and horizontal racks extending lengthwise of the car and adapted to be engaged by the said pinions.

7.. A refrigerator car having a movable transverse partition, a horizontal rotatable shaft ournaled in the upper edge of said artition, gear pinions at the ends of said s aft at the upper corners of the partition, and horizontal racks supported on the side walls of the car and adapted to be engaged by s aid pinions.

8. A refrigerator car having a transverse movable partition with supporting rollers at the bottom thereof, and means at the top for shifting the partition to or from the end wall of the car.

ing the partition to or from the end wall of the car, said mechanism being such as to constrain the artition to move always parallel to the en wall of the car.

10. A refrigerator car having a transverse 5 movable art1tion,and a false bottom hinged to the end wall of the carand adapted to be folded u turned orward and down so as to reach across from the end wall to the said partition.

11. A refrigerator car having a transverse movable partition, an end wall lining consisting of spaced vertical slats, and a false bottom hinged to the end wall and consisting of slats sta gered with respect to the end wall slats, so t at the false bottom may be folded up against the end wall and its slats will go between those of the end wall.

12. A refrigerator car comprlsing a transand back against the same or be verse movable partition, means for lockin tachably engage the partition, said braces it at a certain definite position from the en being adapted to hang down close to the end 10 wall, and means for looking it close against wall of the car when their ends are discon the end wall. nected from the partition.

\ 13. A-refrigerator carcomprising a trans- EDWARD POSSON. verse movable partition, and braces pivoted Witnesses:

' to the end wall of the car at one end of each EDYTHJJ M. ANDERSON,

and having their other ends adapted to de- LILLIAN KIBBY. 

